And Still I Rise

“Life loves the person who dares to live it,” says Maya Angelou in the recently released documentary, Maya Angelou: And Still I Rise.

This is the first film to document the life of Maya Angelou.  Growing up in rural Arkansas, working as a dancer, singer, writer, director, poet, actor she became a powerful voice of truth in the world.  She worked with Martin Luther King and Malcolm X during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960`s.  

Malcolm  X and Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou and Barak Obama

She was part of the Harlem Writers Guild with Langston Hughes.  She was invited by Bill Clinton to write and recite a poem (On the Pulse of the Morning) for his inauguration.  The US government commissioned her to write a poem for the United States on the occasion of Nelson Mandela`s death (His Day is Done).  She also received the highest honour for Americans from Barak Obama.

Maya Angelou reading On the Pulse of the Morning at the Inauguration of Bill Clinton

Co-directors Bob Hercules and Rita Coburn Whack spent four years making the film.  For the first two, Dr. Angelou was alive and she participated in three lengthy interviews with the filmmakers. They also found archival footage and interviewed other people in her life such as Diahann Carroll, Cicely Tyson, Lou Gossett Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Bill and Hilary Clinton and Guy B. Johnson, Angelou’s son.

In an interview at the Sundance Film Festival, Rita Whack said that Angelou was able to rise above racism, sexism and sexual abuse.  “She told the story and made us all aware,” said the director.  This became the theme for the movie and they wanted that to be her legacy to the next generation.

What struck me throughout the film was that Maya Angelou was a woman who said “yes” to life over and over again.  A woman who dared to love, who dared to make mistakes and forgive herself and a woman who had the courage to speak her truth. You can get a taste of this in the trailer.

As we left the theatre after the film, I felt taller somehow.  I wanted to stand up straight and meet life eye to eye.  I felt better about myself as a human being.  As my companions and I made our way to the exit we were stopped by an older woman who wanted to tell us about her experience meeting Maya Angelou in California a number of years ago.  She explained that she had her picture taken with Dr. Angelou who was very tall and how she treasures that picture.  She explained why this remarkable woman had COPD, a lung disease often caused by smoking, saying that she was a registered nurse so she noticed the cigarette in one of the archival pictures in the film.  The woman spoke quickly, with a Caribbean accent and recounted the story again as if she could hardly believe that she had stood beside this phenomenal woman.  She was bursting with the story and had chosen us to tell it to.

I reached out and touched her hand.  “Now I`ve touched someone who touched Maya Angelou,” I said.  I`ve heard that we are connected to everyone in the world by six degrees of separation but here was just three degrees of separation.  We were just going to leave when the woman`s friend appeared and she introduced us to her.  We stood in a circle and took turns speaking about what the movie and its star, meant to us as if we were old friends.  I remembered Maya Angelou saying that when one human achieves something great, then we are all elevated by that.  I shared this with my new friends. 

Maya Angelou passed away in 2014, eighty-six years after she was born.  But to this group of black and white woman in the lobby of a theatre in Toronto, she was alive.  She connected us, made us proud to be women and gave us the courage to reach out to one another.  Her spirit and legacy lived on as we embodied her message of respect and inclusivity.

As my companions and I walked away down Bloor Street, we marveled at the experience of sharing with these now friends, at the expansion of reaching out beyond our own boundaries even in the heart of a big city.  I could feel Maya Angelou`s wide beautiful smile beaming down on us.

     I note the obvious differences¸

     between each sort and type,

     but we are more alike, my friends,

     than we are unalike.
              -- Maya Angelou

From Human Family, I Shall Not Be Moved1990  Random House: Toronto

Gord Downie Included Us All

“I always tried to write so everyone was included,” said Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip as he stood alone on the stage at the final concert of the Man Machine Poem tour in his hometown, Kingston.  Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer, Downie and the Hip decided to do the tour anyway and donate some of the proceeds to brain cancer research.  When scalpers grabbed a lot of the tickets, the Hip booked more concerts so that fans would be able to afford to come to the concerts.  An on-line petition encouraged the CBC which wanted to broadcast the final concert to all of Canada.

Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip

And they did.  Screens were put up in parks and parking lots.  Venues in theatres and bars offered free admission to view the concert.  People gathered in homes or watched it alone on TV or streamed on-line, or in their cars on the radio.  It is estimated that one third of Canadians tuned in to the concert.  People spoke of feeling connected to each other through the technology that made it possible for people thousands of miles apart to all watch the same concert.  Gord wanted us all to be included and we were.

Stroller, lawn chairs and scooter in Midland

I watched the concert with friends in a parking lot in Midland with a giant screen.  There were people on lawn chairs, babies in strollers and seniors on scooters.  Many simply sat on the asphalt and stretched out their legs on the warm summer evening.  Every now and then a warm wind would blow off of Georgian Bay.  It seemed to be synchronized with Gord Downie’s incredible energy as he danced and gestured, raged and cried, tenderly kissed his band members and simply stood on stage as the crowd called his name.

He had a lot of Canada watching and he thanked the fans, thanked the people who put the show on and thanked Prime Minister Trudeau for coming to see the show. He spoke twice about the terrible conditions on First Nations communities in the north. He spoke about setting it right. Trudeau wearing a Tragically Hip t-shirt stood as Downie said that he was the one lead us in fixing this injustice.

In sharing his diagnosis, Downie shed light on the thousands of Canadians who are also dealing with brain cancer, including them in the spotlight. Crossing the country for what appears to be the last tour, he gave fans the chance to share the space with him one last time. In the second song of the concert, Courage, Downie turned the mike to the crowd who sang “courage” to him.  The emotional honesty that he has always brought to his lyrics and performances allowed him to include everyone in the transition from life to death.  Standing alone on the stage in a white t-shirt, sparkly silver pants and a white hat adorned with feathers, he gave us a glimpse of what it is to face death and to still choose to live generously and with integrity.  He allowed us into this most private of times.

The only time that this many Canadians have all been watching the same thing, it was a hockey game or an Olympic event where we were competing to win.  The final Tragically Hip concert was not a competition.  It was an event of the new paradigm – a circle that could become as large as was needed.  A circle in which pain was shared, and love and joy and a call for us to do better, to include all people in Canada in the circle.  The image of one feminist man speaking from the stage to another feminist man about healing our relationship with the indigenous people of this land is one that will remain in my memory for a very long time. 

A few days after the concert, Chief Shisheesh from Attawapiskat thanked Downie for his words on stage (CBC News).  He is working with other chiefs from the northern communities to find a way to honour Gord.  The Tragically Hip’s previous CD Now for Plan A included the song Goodnight Attawapiskat which they wrote when they visited the community a number of years ago.  The circle keeps expanding for Gord Downie who seems to be uniting people as he prepares to leave.  The poet who sings our Canadian story is creating a brand new story with us.

Inawendiwin -- Going Forward Together in Harmony

What would happen if eight Indigenous artists and eight non-indigenous artists explored Reconciliation?  What would they experience?  What would they discover?  What would they create?

In the summer of 2015, the Barrie Native Friendship Centre initiated a “(Re)conciliation Art Project” that brought together these sixteen Simcoe County artists.  Their goal was “to learn from each other, share stories, gain understanding and collaborate on a linked series of art works.” (Call to Action #83 Catalogue)

The project was named Call to Action #83.  The Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission includes 94 Calls to Action.  The 83^rd one calls “upon the Canada Council for the Arts to establish, as a funding priority, a strategy for indigenous and non-indigenous artists to undertake collaborative projects and produce works that contribute to the reconciliation process.” (TRC Summary, p.335)

In September 2015, the artists and presiding elders gathered at the home of the lead indigenous artists Dazaunggee (Paul Shilling) to take part in a sweat lodge and feast before choosing by lot the order of the work.

When the first artist who was non-indigenous finished his work, he met with the second artist who was indigenous to share the work and the process of creation.  The second artist responded to that work and then passed it on to the third artist who was non-indigenous and so on.  An eagle feather was also passed on with each work.  You can view all the art created on the Call to Action #83 website.

The catalogue describes them:

     The first piece is a woodcut depicting the Ojibway creation story

     of the Seven Fires, the White Buffalo and an Eagle emerging 

     from darkness. The next is a deeply felt painting of loss and hope 

     for renewal. In addition to canvases, the series includes lacework, 

     paper cut-outs, a mixed media construction of the medicine wheel, 

     a large sheet of birch plywood painted and carved by a router and  

     with a painting of children from a residential school. A huge 

     collage on a seven-by-seven foot piece of canvas depicts the wall 

     of a residential school, on which children carved their initials, along-

     side figures of suicides that emerge from a ground seemingly 

     covered with ash and cinders. The radiant icon of a heart berry 

     (strawberry) inspires a diptych of powerful abstract canvases 

     depicting the strength of Spirit.

As I read through the catalogue and viewed the creative work of these sixteen artists, I was struck by the honesty and respect that they all showed in this project.  The very act of trusting in the process of listening, sharing and responding from the heart is an act of reconciliation.  The art tells the story of creation, the story of loss and destruction, individual and collective responsibility, the story to tell future generations, the story of healing, the story of unearthing stories and the story of living in harmony.

The project is described by J. Clark and M. Meiers in the catalogue:

“It seems that the call and the reply is an appropriate metaphor for this project.  Peoples of all faiths respond to the call – how one artist called to the next with colour, form and image to weave a narrative of truth.  There is music in the art as well.  We can respond to the Call to Action, one drum beat, one heart beat at a time.”

The catalogue introduction ends with “Call to Action #83 lays out a roadmap for “inawendiwin” – going forward together in harmony.”

The project was initially exhibited in Toronto but is now on its way to Barrie.  You can learn more about that on the Calltoaction#83 website. You can also read a review of the exhibit on Anishinabek News 

I invite you to take a trip along this courageous visual journey by visiting the website or attending one of the exhibitions. 

Sing Me Home

“No matter how we think of home, it is key to our identity – a place where life flourishes and memories are built.  Silkroad is a creative home for me and for members of the Ensemble, a place where we return to explore new artistic languages, to encounter friends and strangers, and to find joy in unexpected connections.”  So writes cellist Yo-Yo Ma in the introduction of the liner notes for the CD Sing Me Home.  

This CD by Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble is a companion CD to the movie The Music of Strangers which I wrote about on July 19, 2016.  On this CD (which I found at my local library) the collaborative ensemble collaborates with even more musicians.  The theme is sharing the sounds of the different homes of the musicians.  The introduction continues: “For us, this is one of the great pleasures of Silkroad: we celebrate difference; we cultivate curiosity in our exploration and generosity in our sharing. In our homes something completely unfamiliar presents a precious opportunity to build something new.”

Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble

Instead of building walls, these musicians build bridges. They create relationships which create meaning and joy.  You can get a taste of this joy by watching some of the recording sessions from this CD on youtube.

You can watch the Origin story of this CD.  Each track represents a different musical tradition.  The Ensemble brought in additional musicians that represent those traditions.  Johnny Gandlesman, a violinist in the ensemble speaks about how the relationships they build allow the musicians to feel safe enough to take musical risks and participate in this cross-cultural creation.

St. James Infirmary Blues: Micheal Ward-Bergeman arranged this American blues standard with the help of traditional Roma musicians.

Heart and Soul:  Rob Mathes was asked by Johnny Gandlesman to arrange this old classic “so it plays like a smile.”  American singers Lisa Fischer and Gregory Porter certainly embody this joy.

Abigail Washburn

Wu Ton

Going Home:  William Arms Fisher set the lyrics of Going Home to Antonin Dvorak’s Largo from his New World Symphony.  Jermey Kittel got Keith Lipson to translate them into Chinese.  Abigail Washburn and Wu Ton sing in Chinese  and English creating a beautiful marriage of cultures. In case you’re wondering what the instrument Wu Ton is playing is called, it is the sheng.

Home, home, home, home/ I’m going home

Nothing’s lost,all’s gain, No more fret nor pain

No more stumblin’ by the way

No more longin’ for the day,

Goin’ to roam no more.

Goin’ home, goin’ home, I’m a goin’ home

It’s not far, just close by, through an open door.

This CD, Going Home is an open door that we can all step through and hear the sounds of the homes of these courageous musicians.  They somehow become our homes as well as we engage in the generosity, energy, and joy of the music.  Perhaps this is one of the new sounds of home.

Paddling for the Peace

This is the Peace River Valley in northeastern British Columbia.  It is home to countless forms of life.  Many have been here for thousands of years.  People of the First Nations, mammals, fish, birds, insects, plants and later settlers from Europe and their descendants who farm the rich soil in this unique ecosystem.  

Here are some of the thousand people who paddled for the Peace River last month.  They were local people and people from as far away as Italy and Indonesia.  They were people from First Nations communities, farmers and environmentalists.  People from cities and people from the country. They were people who love the river and the land around it.  People who value the habitat and ecosystems that the valley provides.   People who are thinking about what they are leaving for their children. They were part of the 11^th annual Paddle for the Peace.

So why were they paddling?  They are part of a movement that is striving to protect the river valley from being permanently flooded if BC Hydro’s Site-C dam is built.  The dam would flood 83 km of the Peace River, 10km of the Moberly River and 14 km of the Halfway River.  This would mean that 31,528 acres of Class 1 – 7 agricultural land and over 17,000 acres of forested land would disappear.  You can see the paddlers setting out in A Story of the Peace River.

This unique microclimate can support corn, field tomatoes, cantaloupe and watermelon even though it is farther north than you would expect to see these crops.  Losing this land would make BC people more reliant on US crops.  There are other forms of creating energy but no way of creating more fertile land.  It takes 600 years to create 2cm of soil while BC Hydro estimates the dam would only last 100 years.

Northeast BC has already been impacted by the oil, gas and forestry industries. The Peace River is both home and a highway for many ecosystems and the wildlife that require them for survival.  Species of fish and birds would lose their migratory homes. (Save BC from Site-C website )

A Joint Review Panel which received submissions on the project concluded that BC does not need this project at this time.  There is no need for increased production and the energy generated by the $8.8 billion project would be sold to the US at a loss.  It simply makes no sense.  The energy could be provided by geothermal and wind energy which would also cost less.  The youtube video Peace for a Valley gives you a good overview of the project. You can hear from the people who live in the valley about the impact the dam will have.  

 Every year for the past 11 years, the Peace Valley Environment Association and the West Moberly First Nations host a "Paddle for the Peace"  that brings hundreds of people to protest Site-C on the Peace River. 

RAVEN Trust (Respecting Aboriginal Values and Environmental Needs) joined with these groups to bring more people out this year.  One participant wrote in an email, “as we floated along we saw beavers, eagles and deer.  We also witnessed incredibly committed people taking a courageous stand in a community that has been deeply divided by this project.  Farm folk, city folk, First Nations and people from all walks of life joined hands to support one another in stopping a project that would be a disaster for our common future.”

Over 20,000 people have signed a petition asking the federal government not to sign any permits for the dam until the court challenge can be heard.  RAVEN has raised $260,000 for this challenge so far.  BC businesses are holding fundraisers to add to this.  While the Peace River paddle took place the Sechelt First Nation did as well and so did paddlers in Nelson, BC, and Saanich Inlet.  In Vancouver, there was a march and flotilla.

You can see some of the paddle on River Interrupted.   This is a beautiful little video that shows all these people paddling together, working together to save this part of Canada for future generations. “There has to be a new way of thinking,” says Roland Wilson, Chief of the West Moberly First Nation. Green Party Leader Elizabeth May speaks as well, calling on the federal government to respect treaty rights on this land.

Site-C Dam would impact land that is part of the Treaty 8 First Nations.  This treaty states that the people of those nations could carry out their treaty rights and cultural practices “…for as long as the sun shines, the rivers flow and the grass grows.”  The dam could impact up to 337 archeological sites including ancestral gravesites.

BC Hydro has already started working on the dam but the people who love the Peace River Valley have not given up.  They continue raising money for the court challenge and calling on the federal government to stop issuing permits.  They are doing what they can to create a better future for our children and all their relations in the natural world.  This is the new story Canadians are creating.  You can go out with the song, Rise Up for the Peace River Valley .

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